News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
MYSTERIES OF A DAY.
NOTABLE EVENTS THAT WE
FIND REPORTED.

An Indian Gust american Inven
: tions-Born a SIave-An Abigail Oh
/ After Him-Eating the Husks
: Etc, Etc.
| JEFFRY JOHNSON, who died near Me
chanicsburg, Ohio, few days ago, was
4 a slave in Virginia in 1873, and hal
entered on his 115th year when he
} died. He was slave for ninety-twO
years. He had two wives. BY the first
: he became the father of eight children,
three of whom are living, the average of
their ages being so years, the eldest 81
and the youngest 70 years. By his Sc
cond wife he had nine children, six of
| whom are living, their average age be-
ing 50 years, the oldest being So and the
youngest Al. He had seventy-siX grand
children, thirteen great grand children,
and one great-great- grand-c child, his off
spring extending through four genera
tons, there being 100 souls. In his
veins flowed the blood of three races
white, negro and Indian-and to this
fact is attributed his longevity.
THAT the Indians of the far West
have not yet been civilized is proved by
an Oregon merchant, who says that the
debts of dead Indians are paid by their
relatives. "When Anderson and Bern
hart, " he said CHILLED IN Indian several
years ago, he owed 1915. Since that
time 1880 of this amont has been paid
me by his relatives. Kentucky died the
other day owing me $50. Already his
relatives lave approached me on the
subject and made arrangements to pay
the amount. It is law with them to
pay the debts of their relatives, and
they never break it. [ am sure of get
ting my money if an Indian dies owing
me;fbut when white man dies leaving
no property, no matter how rich his re
latives are, 1 never expect to get
cent"
E. H. VINsoN, of Peola, Idaho, was
riding across the country the other day
urarmed, when he came upon big
black bear. He was bound to have it,
and so started to drive it before him I'M
til he could get gun, and did so for
three miles. While passing house the
bear went into the hogpan to rest, and
the woman of the house came out with
an axe and butcher knife to slay the
bear, but Mr. Vinson told her that it
was dangerous to go near him. so she re-
turned to the house. After the bear
had rested he started on again, only go
ing about half mile further. when
Mr.. Vinson was REINFORCED with fire
arms, and shot and killed the bear.
SOME CURIOUS and terrible effects of
lightning are~reported from Mende,
France. During the recent thunder
storms in that locality the room of a
Nine Gaillard was suddenly illuminat-
ed with the flashes. of fire. The woman
and her three children, frightened out
of their wits, ran for safety to the chin
ney corner, when single sharp clap of
thunder was heard over the house, and
the chimney was struck by lightning.
The mother and the three children
were knocked down insensible. One of
them, boy of 1, was killed instantanc-
ously, and a little girl was whirled into
+ the centre of the room and had her eyes
completely burned out.
OTTo ScHRoEFEL was the son Of
wealthy parents in Weiselberg, Wur-
/ temberg. They gave him a good educa-
ton and he bid fair to make a reputa-
ton as an architect, but the old Adam
was too much for him, and he ran away
ten years ago and came to this country.
Since then he has been living on husks.
Three months ago he was stabbed near
~ to death by a negro near Camden,
and policeman took him to the hos
pital. There he was cared for, his life /.
saved, and by the chance reading of an
old torn newspaper he learned that he !
was the rightful heir to a fortune, the
income of which will amount to $4,000 /
year.
LITTLE Maurice Bergeron was catch |
ing shrimps at Brul y Landing, La, the |
other day, when a large alligator sud !
, denly appeared near him and made an
, effort to throw him into tho river with
! its tail. Fortunately the blow, struck
with terrible force missed its mark, and
the boy turned to run for his life As
he did SO the monster made a savage
rush at him. Coming out of the water, |
he seized Maurice by the leg, inficting
a slight flesh wound and tearing off a
great portion of the boys trousers. Be- /
fore the alligator could get second hold /
on the boy he had scrambled up the .
landing and was out of danger.
JACOB L. BUzzARD and others were !
engaged in digging a we'll on the prem
ises of James Grant, not far from Bay
City, Mich. At the depth of three feet .
they came across large deposit of /
bones, which, from their appearance, |
were evidently those of some giant ami
NAL of the mastodon species. One of |
the trsks of this animal was six feet in /
length, aud measured five inches in dia-
meter at its base. A hip bone measur-
ed twelve inches in diameter, and rib .
was found seven and IL half feet in length. /
The jaw of the animal was also found.
and it measured four and half feet in
length.
DANIEL ROGERS, a miner near Orc,
Arizona, had both hands blown off a.
the wrist by a premature discharge Of
giant powder recently. He was alone,
and he walked two miles to deserted
cabin, were he bound up the stumps Of
his wrists after fashion with pieces of
curtain, which he tore with his teeth.
He travelled all night, durip.. which
time his trousers became loose AMI
dropped around his feet. He kicked of
his shoes and trousers and at 6 o'clock
was found lying unconscious near IL
Mexican cabin. He was taken to hos
pital and is getting well.
One of the members of the Harris
burg City Grays is Private Task, who
for twenty-five years has been II Sunday
school scholar, and in all that time has
never been absent from his class Re
Gently, when III camp with his CON panv,
Saturday came, and he found SOM diff
ficulty i'll getting permission to leave,
but when he pleaded that his failure t.
get to Harrisburg would break the recor
of a quarter of n century's attendance
at Sunday school, the commanding Off
Ger did not have the heart to refuse
request which was backed by so unusual
an argument.
CHARLES +. JACKSON, of Halifax, Fla,
has pet snake thai catches rats. Ja.k-
son heard IA racket in cupboard, and.
opening the door, found the snake ha |
captured q rat, and was trying to swal-
low it nose first. The rat was alive, an
strenuously protested against going in
TO such a hole, using his feet to catch
hold Of the floor OF other surroundings.
The snake, wiser than the rat, raise
him up Il foot or two in the air and III
that position continue the swallowing
process, dropping down 10 the floor t.
rest occasionally, until the rat was syal-
lowed.
THE fifteen great American Inventions
Of world wide adoption are: % The
cottOn-gin (2) the planning machine, 3l
the grass mower and reaper, a. the 70
tary printing press, % navigation by
steam, 90 the hot-air engine, On TIE
sewing machine, (8) the india rhbbcr